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What is the best laptop brand to buy

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I see far more Acer, HP, Compaq, and Dell Notebook in my shop for servicing than I do Toshiba or Lenovo products. Then again, this might just mean there is a greater volume the other brands in my area in general. I've always been partial to Toshiba Tecras myself. I once dropped one of mine on the concrete floor of an airline terminal, put it back together on the plane and continue to use it.
 
FWIW, I had to return a customer's Toshiba 4 times to be repaired. They finally fixed it right on the forth attempt.
 
That tells the tale Grumpy9117 doesn't it. No matter how good an experience someone has with any brand, there are always the lemons and the exceptions to the rule isn't there?
 
Lenovos and that type are a different class than Dell, Hp, etc.

I repair for a living. Some years and models of Hps, Dells, etc. are good.

But Lenovo gives you a laptop that is built well and works, not a pretty case
with shiny bits. I imagine a Panasonic Toughbook would be a good one too.
 
My wife has been running a Gateway notebook for 2 years now. She never turns it off, runs 24 hours a day. So I am impressed with them. Didn't Acer buy them out not long ago?
 
Toshiba and Sony FTW. The build quality is just so much better than Dell. At least the ones I have owned.

Oh yea, Apple, too. Yes, I love my MacBook Air.
 
Personal preference is a big factor here.
I have a Dell XPS M1710 that is still kicking butt.
Research bang for the buck in your purchase because laptops are difficult or impossible to upgrade later.
 
The Inspiron 1440 (pp42l) is a newer budget line Dell that hasn't been out long enough to really know its reliability. Dell in general is a good notebook for the money, but this being a budget laptop it will not be as rugged as some. Treat it right and you should be ok.